Its auto-download article opens: "You can set WhatsApp to automatically download photos, voice messages, videos, and documents when using mobile data, Wi-Fi, and when roaming." The controls are under **Settings › Storage and data**, in the "Media auto-download" section, one entry per connection type — "When using mobile data", "When connected on Wi-Fi" and "When roaming" — and in each you "Tap the check box next to the type of media you’d like to auto-download" ([*How to configure auto-download*, WhatsApp Help Center](https://faq.whatsapp.com/366146522333492/?cms_platform=android&locale=en_US), read 14 October 2026). That article, the one on finding media files ([*Finding media files*, WhatsApp Help Center](https://faq.whatsapp.com/1436677150190242/?cms_platform=android&locale=en_US), read 14 October 2026) and the one on downloads that fail ([*Can’t download, open, or send media files*, WhatsApp Help Center](https://faq.whatsapp.com/1096027074615511/?cms_platform=android&locale=en_US), read 14 October 2026) are silent on what notification a download shows, so we will not describe one as WhatsApp's.
## Our reading, and how to check itIf the notification appears without you tapping anything, the likeliest cause is that Documents is ticked for the connection you are on. Open **Settings › Storage and data** in WhatsApp and look at each of the three entries. If you tapped a document in a chat yourself, it is simply that file arriving.
To see which app posted it and what kind of notification it is, Android's own route works for any app: swipe down, "Touch and hold the notification, and then tap Settings". From there you can turn off "all notifications for a listed app or choose from specific categories" ([*Control notifications on Android*, Android Help](https://support.google.com/android/answer/9079661?hl=en), read 14 October 2026). In our reading, switching a notification off changes only what you see; whether documents download is still decided by the auto-download boxes in WhatsApp.
## Where the document goesWhatsApp's answer is the media folder: "On Android, media files are automatically saved in your WhatsApp/Media folder", on internal storage if the phone has it (Finding media files, above). From inside a chat, **Media, links, and docs** lists what was shared, and the same article says "Files are organized by the date they were sent". Where that folder actually sits on a newer phone is a longer story, told on [our WhatsApp storage page](https://adinandsorter.com/answers/where-are-whatsapp-media-stored).
## If it never finishesWhatsApp names a weak connection as "the most common reason" a download fails, and lists storage permission and SD-card space among the other causes (Can’t download article, above). The checklist is [on our failed-downloads page](https://adinandsorter.com/answers/why-whatsapp-download-failed).
## Adinand Auto File Sorter and arriving documentsOn Pro the app can watch WhatsApp Documents (the preset appears only if that folder exists on your phone). It leaves a file alone while it may still be arriving: anything changed in the last 30 seconds, part-files such as `.crdownload` or `.part`, and empty files are skipped until a later run. Once a document is complete, the app moves it into one central folder, `Downloads › Sorted Files` unless you choose another, so it no longer sits next to WhatsApp.
Related: [Where WhatsApp media is stored](https://adinandsorter.com/answers/where-are-whatsapp-media-stored) · [The WhatsApp Private folder](https://adinandsorter.com/answers/whatsapp-private-folder) · [Why WhatsApp downloads fail](https://adinandsorter.com/answers/why-whatsapp-download-failed) · [Where documents are stored on Android](https://adinandsorter.com/answers/where-are-documents-stored-on-android)